Samsung Monte Slider

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CNET Editors' Rating

The GoodEasy to use interface and menu system; Solidly built and light; Only £40.

The BadInternet connection is abominably slow; Screen is too small to read email or check Facebook; terrible music player.

The Bottom LineThe Samsung Monte Slider is a solid, intuitive little phone that shouldn't have bothered trying to add Internet features. Buy it because it's cheap and makes calls, not because it tries to do all this fancy modern stuff.

5.5 Overall

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Following the hugely popular original Samsung Monte, the Slider is a budget phone that attempts to include social-networking extras. In essence the Slider is an even more stripped-down version of the original Monte, with a keyboard attached. It has a 2-inch non-touchscreen, a 1.3-megapixel camera and a bunch of apps pre-installed.

Covering the basicsThe Slider is an incredibly basic, low-tech phone, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. When it comes to basic services you expect from a mobile phone -- text messaging, making telephone calls -- the unit is good value.

While the screen is quite low resolution, it's more than clear enough for reading texts or navigating the phone's menus. Unlike the previous Monte, the Slider doesn't have customisable widgets. Despite this, the pre-programmed menu system is very good. The icons are all clearly labelled and the inclusion of a physical keypad means you're never unsure of which button does what. In short, the interface is so user-friendly even a slightly slow chimpanzee could figure out how to use it.

The phone's chassis is a shiny affair. It's made of fairly solid polished plastic, which while feeling a little on the cheap side, isn't offensively naff. Despite being fairly light, weighing in at about 90g, it does feel like it could take a few bumps and accidental drops.

The Slider's 1.3-megapixel camera is also decent. While the images were nowhere near the quality of a dedicated digital camera or a higher-end phone, they were clear and not overly pixellated.

Don't count on the extrasWhile the Slider is solid at the basics, its extras aren't quite so impressive. On top of its basic function as a phone, the Slider tries to include a music player and several social-networking apps.